Tattoo Ideas: Latin Tattoos

It's no secret that Angelina Jolie is fond of tattoos; everyone is familiar with the "Billy Bob" tattoo she got in honor of her now ex-husband, Billy Bob Thornton, then later had covered up. And publicity shots of soccer great David Beckham frequently show his bare back, revealing the names of his sons tattooed in thick black ink. But did you know that these celebrities also have Latin tattoos as well? Angelina's is on her lower stomach (next to a thick black cross that covers up a small blue dragon she got while drunk in Amsterdam) and says, "Quod me netrit me destruit" meaning, "What nourishes me also destroys me." David Beckham's Latin phrase is on his left inner forearm, just below his wife Victoria's name which is misspelled in a Hindi script. The phrase reads, "Ut Amem Et Foveam" meaning "So that I love and cherish."

Although it is now extinct, Latin was once the universal language spoken in Europe as early as the 1st century B.C., and it is a language that we can all relate to as many modern day words are derived from Latin. Today, unless you are attending mass at the Vatican in Rome or in Florida with my grandmother (who still says her prayers in Latin, as she was taught to do in the 1930's) Latin phrases are primarily used among doctors (primum non nocere, which means "first, do no harm") and lawyers (habeas corpus). In fact, many people still use Latin today without even realizing it. Bona fide is Latin for "good faith", ad hoc means "for this purpose" and quid pro quo means "something for something", which is used in modern day banter to mean "tit for tat."

Luckily, unlike the Hebrew and Arabic words and phrases tattoos I discussed previously, Latin phrases are fairly easy to translate for the sake of tattooing. Wikipedia offers an extensive list of Latin phrases, many of which make for beautiful and inspirational tattoos. Yuni.com also features a long list of common Latin phrases.

As with any tattoo that is done in a foreign language not your own, make sure you do your homework. Double check your translation with several sources. Unfortunately, as the Latin language is extinct, you won't be able to find a native speaker. Instead, ensure your translation is correct by either using several online translators or confirming it's accuracy with a Latin scholar.Here are some Latin phrases to get you started: non ducor duco -- I am not led; I leadsemper ad meliora -- always towards better thingssic itur ad astra -- thus you shall go to the starstemet nosce -- know thyselfveni, vidi, vici -- I came, I saw, I conqueredverba volant, scripta manent -- words fly away, writings remainveritas lux mea -- truth is my lightvincit qui se vincit -- he conquers who conquers himselfvive ut vivas -- live so that you may livealis grave nil -- nothing is heavy to those who have wingsalis volat propris -- she flies with her own wings audax at fidelis -- bold but faithful carpe noctem -- seize the night cogito ergo sum -- I think therefore I am credo quia absurdum est -- I believe it because it is absurd dum vita est, spes est -- while there is life, there is hope esse quam videri -- to be, rather than to seem luceat lux vestra -- let your light shine luctor et emergo -- I struggle and emerge non ducor duco -- I am not led; I lead semper ad meliora -- always towards better things sic itur ad astra -- thus you shall go to the stars temet nosce -- know thyself veni, vidi, vici -- I came, I saw, I conquered verba volant, scripta manent -- words fly away, writings remain veritas lux mea -- truth is my light vincit qui se vincit -- he conquers who conquers himself vive ut vivas -- live so that you may live